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Christmas Magic #1
Christmas Magic
Clio has one mission in life: keep her unique powers hidden and avoid other magical beings at all costs. Sounds simple enough. But, when a group of murderous dark elves attack her, keeping a low profile becomes a little more complicated.
To make matters worse, she's now adopted an unwanted defender. His name is Dash -- a reindeer shifter who's as irritating as he is handsome. He wants to protect her. She wants him to take his rather large antlers and fly on back to the North Pole. But when magical creatures are being killed, and no one knows why, she has no choice but to trust him.
They'll need to work together if they want to find this group of killer elves. But can Clio keep the nature of her powers hidden when Dash is watching her so closely? Or will her secrets unravel as the danger escalates and her magic becomes the one thing between them and disaster?
To make matters worse, she's now adopted an unwanted defender. His name is Dash -- a reindeer shifter who's as irritating as he is handsome. He wants to protect her. She wants him to take his rather large antlers and fly on back to the North Pole. But when magical creatures are being killed, and no one knows why, she has no choice but to trust him.
They'll need to work together if they want to find this group of killer elves. But can Clio keep the nature of her powers hidden when Dash is watching her so closely? Or will her secrets unravel as the danger escalates and her magic becomes the one thing between them and disaster?
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2018
555 people are currently reading
803 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Moody
28 books3,068 followersAlexandra Moody is an Australian author who writes romance novels for young adults. She lives in Adelaide with her husband, three children and naughty dog. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll find her reading or spending time with her family. She loves to travel, is addicted to caffeine and has a love/hate relationship with the gym.
For more information, visit: www.alexandramoody.com
or follow Alexandra on Instagram or TikTok: @amoodyauthor
For more information, visit: www.alexandramoody.com
or follow Alexandra on Instagram or TikTok: @amoodyauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
November 18, 2019
4 stars - English Ebook 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Christmas magic. The leading caracter in this book has her Belly full of it and hides in the Human realm. But when dark elves attack her and a raindeer shifter helps her out, trouble just gets started. A pitty the romance between the female Claus and the male raindeer go nowhere in this book. Maybe in the next one. 🌹🌹🌹
Christmas magic. The leading caracter in this book has her Belly full of it and hides in the Human realm. But when dark elves attack her and a raindeer shifter helps her out, trouble just gets started. A pitty the romance between the female Claus and the male raindeer go nowhere in this book. Maybe in the next one. 🌹🌹🌹
December 11, 2020
2.5 stars. This was okay, nothing special. There are a lot of good ideas and potential but it never really gets there. I liked the idea of Christmas magical beings that only have their powers during the holiday season. I thought all the different beings that were created here were unique and I appreciated that.
Clio was alright, I'd love to know more about her past and what makes her so special but I am sure that will come in future books. She has all this power and I want to see her use more of it and learn about who she is.
Little did I know, peace would only last a few more hours; my life was about to be thrown into mayhem, and it would all start when a reindeer walked into the bar.
Dash was a typical strong pretty to look at male who is overprotective. There wasn't enough to him for me to really care about him. Although the reindeer shifters take was super neat.
I just wish the writing was a tighter and there was more about the characters to make them individuals.
Dont know if I'll bother continuing.
Clio was alright, I'd love to know more about her past and what makes her so special but I am sure that will come in future books. She has all this power and I want to see her use more of it and learn about who she is.
Little did I know, peace would only last a few more hours; my life was about to be thrown into mayhem, and it would all start when a reindeer walked into the bar.
Dash was a typical strong pretty to look at male who is overprotective. There wasn't enough to him for me to really care about him. Although the reindeer shifters take was super neat.
I just wish the writing was a tighter and there was more about the characters to make them individuals.
Dont know if I'll bother continuing.
May 29, 2019
Free Kindle Read.
I picked this up because I LOVED The Wrong Bachelor by Alexandra Moody.
Although I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, I will give the Christmas character world a solid 10 for creativity. It's so cheesy, you have to smile. It's impossible to not laugh at some of the integrations of holiday themes.
I picked this up because I LOVED The Wrong Bachelor by Alexandra Moody.
Although I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, I will give the Christmas character world a solid 10 for creativity. It's so cheesy, you have to smile. It's impossible to not laugh at some of the integrations of holiday themes.
December 24, 2019
Well this was a good start. I liked the light and dark Claus magic and that they shift into reindeer's. The story was good and I look forward to reading more. Clio was good too as she wasn't a whimpering mc and she was funny at times. I wonder if she'll end up with Dash and what favor she owes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2022
4 stars - English Ebook
Clio’s mission in life is simple: keep her unique powers hidden and avoid other magical beings at all costs. Sounds simple enough. But, when a group of murderous dark elves attack her, keeping a low profile becomes a little more complicated.
To make matters worse, she’s now adopted an unwanted defender. His name is Dash — a reindeer shifter who’s as irritating as he is handsome. He wants to protect her. She wants him to take his rather large antlers and fly on back to the North Pole. But when magical creatures are being killed, and no one knows why, she has no choice but to trust him.
They’ll need to work together if they want to find this group of killer elves. But can Clio keep the nature of her powers hidden when Dash is watching her so closely? Or will her secrets unravel as the danger escalates and her magic becomes the one thing between them and disaster?
So what happend to Rudolf?
I liked this book because it was so different. The idea of having Christmas characters with magic was especially neat.
The main female character in my opinion was wimpy; whining about not getting to go to certain things because she was a danger to everyone. ...
Then her excuse about not telling the other members of the group her background and special powers was lame; guess we'll read about them in the next book. Thats why no 5 stars.
The best parts of the book were the reindeer; I had to smile thinking about them going into houses in reindeer form. For some reason I could never any of them as a human!
Clio’s mission in life is simple: keep her unique powers hidden and avoid other magical beings at all costs. Sounds simple enough. But, when a group of murderous dark elves attack her, keeping a low profile becomes a little more complicated.
To make matters worse, she’s now adopted an unwanted defender. His name is Dash — a reindeer shifter who’s as irritating as he is handsome. He wants to protect her. She wants him to take his rather large antlers and fly on back to the North Pole. But when magical creatures are being killed, and no one knows why, she has no choice but to trust him.
They’ll need to work together if they want to find this group of killer elves. But can Clio keep the nature of her powers hidden when Dash is watching her so closely? Or will her secrets unravel as the danger escalates and her magic becomes the one thing between them and disaster?
So what happend to Rudolf?
I liked this book because it was so different. The idea of having Christmas characters with magic was especially neat.
The main female character in my opinion was wimpy; whining about not getting to go to certain things because she was a danger to everyone. ...
Then her excuse about not telling the other members of the group her background and special powers was lame; guess we'll read about them in the next book. Thats why no 5 stars.
The best parts of the book were the reindeer; I had to smile thinking about them going into houses in reindeer form. For some reason I could never any of them as a human!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2026
read for our christmas themed book club. that was certainly a book!
December 22, 2021
I really liked the idea of this one and it started off just grand . . . A Claus allergic to pine . . . and a . . . Reindeer? . . . shifter? Oh what fun with a new spin on Christmas magic and the northern realm. All until . . . The world is coming to an end and our intrepid heroine Clio Claus becomes TSTL.
I really enjoyed this one while it was nonsense for about the first half. Just until the time it became dire. It was as though it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: A fun, lighthearted romp? or a Fast Paced thriller. In the end it was neither. And, I honestly don't care how the story ends (in a few more books.) So, I will not be continuing. This makes me sad. The ideas were cute.
I really enjoyed this one while it was nonsense for about the first half. Just until the time it became dire. It was as though it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: A fun, lighthearted romp? or a Fast Paced thriller. In the end it was neither. And, I honestly don't care how the story ends (in a few more books.) So, I will not be continuing. This makes me sad. The ideas were cute.
December 18, 2023
This was a freebie on Amazon, but the next 2 books in the series are full price. Not cool. Especially since this book ends with a cliffhanger.
The heroine is still a teenager at 19. She's a claus, which is a magical being from the Northern Realm.
The hero is a reindeer shapeshifter. He & other members of his herd are trying to find out why powerful, magical beings are being killed.
This wasn't a bad story, just not all it could be. The author's writing is ok, but I think the story could have been better.
There might be a romance between the H/h, but this reads like a YA (which this author is know for) & aside from some attraction, there's not much to go on. This story is told from the heroine's POV.
The heroine is still a teenager at 19. She's a claus, which is a magical being from the Northern Realm.
The hero is a reindeer shapeshifter. He & other members of his herd are trying to find out why powerful, magical beings are being killed.
This wasn't a bad story, just not all it could be. The author's writing is ok, but I think the story could have been better.
There might be a romance between the H/h, but this reads like a YA (which this author is know for) & aside from some attraction, there's not much to go on. This story is told from the heroine's POV.
January 16, 2026
had a great time with this book honestly. It was fun and had some fun ideas but the execution was not it and every character was a husk of what the plot needed in the moment except for Blitz.
like the writing is awful but i barely noticed because you can read it so fast. helps that i read this after the most boring book i've ever read
the love interest is a "tall, dark, and big antlered" reindeer, so I feel like that's all I need to say
like the writing is awful but i barely noticed because you can read it so fast. helps that i read this after the most boring book i've ever read
the love interest is a "tall, dark, and big antlered" reindeer, so I feel like that's all I need to say
January 22, 2024
I normally don’t care for “holiday” themed books for the most part. However, this book was absolutely amazing. I loved everything about it. Although it was 100% Christmas themed: with reindeer shifters, the north realm, krampus and even Clio Claus.. it was a fantasy book I could not get enough of. I can’t wait to continue the series. Definitely recommend this book.
November 29, 2019
My mistake
Silly me, I thought this was a light hearted Christmas be-of-good-cheer book. It is to its credit that although that was soon clear, I kept reading to the end. The writing is very descriptive and the characters appealing, the plot suspenseful. Be aware it is a cliff-hanger, with lots of intriguing hints of the characters ' dark pasts and an apocalyptic future and no resolution.
Silly me, I thought this was a light hearted Christmas be-of-good-cheer book. It is to its credit that although that was soon clear, I kept reading to the end. The writing is very descriptive and the characters appealing, the plot suspenseful. Be aware it is a cliff-hanger, with lots of intriguing hints of the characters ' dark pasts and an apocalyptic future and no resolution.
November 14, 2022
This is a rare book that actually has some good, original ideas. Unfortunately, the plot is weak and the action never really gels.
The main character is hiding. I've read the book and the answer is a "meh". The main protective guy is a cardboard cutout. The protective guy's crew are just as cardboard like. The bad guys are a bit scary, but we learn next to nothing about them.
When the book ends, it is on a pseudo cliff hanger.
Excellent writing, poorly planned. Don't bother.
The main character is hiding. I've read the book and the answer is a "meh". The main protective guy is a cardboard cutout. The protective guy's crew are just as cardboard like. The bad guys are a bit scary, but we learn next to nothing about them.
When the book ends, it is on a pseudo cliff hanger.
Excellent writing, poorly planned. Don't bother.
December 24, 2019
3+. Nice book, interesting characters, leaves you wanting more, ebbs on a semi cliff hanger.
May 18, 2023
I feel like this is kind of a fated mate book but not? Dash’s actions felt like they went beyond the general “it’s my job to keep you safe and solve this problem” and there was one point where Clio describes a tingly feeling when her and Dash hold hands and she doesn’t feel it with the others. I would like to see the romance go somewhere in the next one, it was a bit of a disappointing end.
It was cheesy at points, but it was a fun and light read and I enjoyed it. The different magical species weren’t super well explained, it kind of felt like picking up a spin-off without any knowledge of the world, but you kind of got the gist of it. This may have been a style choice since the main character only knew what she learned from her mother, but I haven’t read anything else by this author so I don’t know.
Really interested in the mystery of what Clio is. Jack the Frost hinted that she is something “other”, which brings up just what her father was. She says she doesn’t know and assumes he was a claus since her mom never said anything, but her powers don’t always line up with claus powers which is only discovered when she starts meeting other magicals and one claus. It makes sense she wouldn’t have known though if her mom was determined to hide everything and took her away from the North Pole when she was like 6, but it’s weird her mom didn’t tell her anything before she died. Clio doesn’t talk about how it happened, but I would assume it was illness or accident since she wasn’t more panicked about being found and since she had dropped all her training. (because of course she did, who lives on the run among humans and DOESN’T drop their martial arts practice???) I know she is young, but I feel like everything that has happened in her life and knowing that if anyone did happen to find her they would be extremely well trained would have been enough motivation to keep up with some semblance of skill. She doesn’t have to worry about money so she could have easily taken lessons during the day.
Clio kept talking about how powerful she was and how unique it was she could use magic out of season, but the other characters only seemed mildly impressed. If that was her full strength then yes, she is special in that she can use magic outside of Christmas season, but she didn’t seem to be all that strong besides that one detail. It would have been nice to see her use magic more or provide some contrast to show how much more powerful she was than any other claus. It seemed like most other beings can’t smell magic near as strongly as she can – she can identify a magical’s general species by scent alone upon meeting them even out of season when they can’t use magic. Even Dash who lives among claus and other magicals didn’t seem to notice much about her, glossing over her magic and her sense of smell.
Also, Clio said she had to stay hidden at all costs (without a full explanation), but she wasn’t concerned at all about how much she had inserted herself into Dash and his herd and their investigation, or the fact that they were taking Crow to be interrogated for information regarding what his evil plot was. All of them would be able to talk about Clio, how she’s extra strong which led to her being a target of Crow’s plan, and exactly where she lives and works. Yet Clio just goes right back to her normal life.
It was cheesy at points, but it was a fun and light read and I enjoyed it. The different magical species weren’t super well explained, it kind of felt like picking up a spin-off without any knowledge of the world, but you kind of got the gist of it. This may have been a style choice since the main character only knew what she learned from her mother, but I haven’t read anything else by this author so I don’t know.
Really interested in the mystery of what Clio is. Jack the Frost hinted that she is something “other”, which brings up just what her father was. She says she doesn’t know and assumes he was a claus since her mom never said anything, but her powers don’t always line up with claus powers which is only discovered when she starts meeting other magicals and one claus. It makes sense she wouldn’t have known though if her mom was determined to hide everything and took her away from the North Pole when she was like 6, but it’s weird her mom didn’t tell her anything before she died. Clio doesn’t talk about how it happened, but I would assume it was illness or accident since she wasn’t more panicked about being found and since she had dropped all her training. (because of course she did, who lives on the run among humans and DOESN’T drop their martial arts practice???) I know she is young, but I feel like everything that has happened in her life and knowing that if anyone did happen to find her they would be extremely well trained would have been enough motivation to keep up with some semblance of skill. She doesn’t have to worry about money so she could have easily taken lessons during the day.
Clio kept talking about how powerful she was and how unique it was she could use magic out of season, but the other characters only seemed mildly impressed. If that was her full strength then yes, she is special in that she can use magic outside of Christmas season, but she didn’t seem to be all that strong besides that one detail. It would have been nice to see her use magic more or provide some contrast to show how much more powerful she was than any other claus. It seemed like most other beings can’t smell magic near as strongly as she can – she can identify a magical’s general species by scent alone upon meeting them even out of season when they can’t use magic. Even Dash who lives among claus and other magicals didn’t seem to notice much about her, glossing over her magic and her sense of smell.
Also, Clio said she had to stay hidden at all costs (without a full explanation), but she wasn’t concerned at all about how much she had inserted herself into Dash and his herd and their investigation, or the fact that they were taking Crow to be interrogated for information regarding what his evil plot was. All of them would be able to talk about Clio, how she’s extra strong which led to her being a target of Crow’s plan, and exactly where she lives and works. Yet Clio just goes right back to her normal life.
December 24, 2022
2.5 stars, rounded up cause it's Christmas.
I thought this was a GREAT premise for a book, and was excited to read it, but to be honest, it fell a flat for me. I loved the lightheartedness present in the beginning, but it was dulled by the very trite and overplayed "rugged, excessively big/hot alpha guy that gives lopsided grins and smirks." If you know the type, you know what I'm talking about.
This book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a fantasy based action/adventure, or a run of the mill romance. The desire to straddle the fence here really ended up just limiting the potential of the book. Besides the very cliché male lead, the main character turned into a hardcore Mary Sue. She's so special and not like the other girls that she literally says, "I was clearly nothing like the rest of my kind." Ohhh, how exciting. So, you have the Mary Sure MC who cannot control herself around the male lead ("I couldn’t for the life of me understand why I’d divulged so much information to him. I blamed his penetrating eyes.") , and you end up with that weird, yet common, thing where an adult women turns into a petulant teenager in her behavior and actions (“And I don’t care!” I folded my arms over my chest and scowled at him. “Melody and I both plan to help whether you like it or not.”).
So, if you're looking for very basically written low slung jeans & smirks (minus the actual smoldering hotness you would normally find that connected to), and whining "I'm special" female leads, this is for you. I would have given it 1 star if the actually unique Christmas fantasy elements hadn't saved it. Unfortunately, I will not be continuing the series.
I thought this was a GREAT premise for a book, and was excited to read it, but to be honest, it fell a flat for me. I loved the lightheartedness present in the beginning, but it was dulled by the very trite and overplayed "rugged, excessively big/hot alpha guy that gives lopsided grins and smirks." If you know the type, you know what I'm talking about.
This book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a fantasy based action/adventure, or a run of the mill romance. The desire to straddle the fence here really ended up just limiting the potential of the book. Besides the very cliché male lead, the main character turned into a hardcore Mary Sue. She's so special and not like the other girls that she literally says, "I was clearly nothing like the rest of my kind." Ohhh, how exciting. So, you have the Mary Sure MC who cannot control herself around the male lead ("I couldn’t for the life of me understand why I’d divulged so much information to him. I blamed his penetrating eyes.") , and you end up with that weird, yet common, thing where an adult women turns into a petulant teenager in her behavior and actions (“And I don’t care!” I folded my arms over my chest and scowled at him. “Melody and I both plan to help whether you like it or not.”).
So, if you're looking for very basically written low slung jeans & smirks (minus the actual smoldering hotness you would normally find that connected to), and whining "I'm special" female leads, this is for you. I would have given it 1 star if the actually unique Christmas fantasy elements hadn't saved it. Unfortunately, I will not be continuing the series.
November 12, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
Rating is for the entire trilogy.
I wasn't keen on the love interest, but not enough dislike (hate) to drop the series.
I was not a fan of MC's tomtem (sp. -- gnome like bonded guardian) from the start, he just seemed to be a jerk, because he could be one. It's not like little child MC purposely chose to bond with him and anyway both their cultures consider such a good thing. 3rd story spoiler.
I would have liked if 'all' plots were actually tied up by the end of the trilogy. --- The series came out in 2018, its late 2025 as I type this and still no sequel series to answer the below.
Spoilers for entire trilogy.
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
Rating is for the entire trilogy.
I wasn't keen on the love interest, but not enough dislike (hate) to drop the series.
I was not a fan of MC's tomtem (sp. -- gnome like bonded guardian) from the start, he just seemed to be a jerk, because he could be one. It's not like little child MC purposely chose to bond with him and anyway both their cultures consider such a good thing. 3rd story spoiler.
I would have liked if 'all' plots were actually tied up by the end of the trilogy. --- The series came out in 2018, its late 2025 as I type this and still no sequel series to answer the below.
Spoilers for entire trilogy.
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
April 25, 2024
I would say first of all, ignore that this story is aimed at Teen and Young Adult readers. I am long past being in that category for anything, and I loved this story.
Christmas Magic is written in the first person from the perspective of Clio, a claus who prefers to live in the human realm away from her own kind and other magical beings. As the story begins, Clio is employed as a bar maid, and has been managing on her own since the death of her mother. That is until dark magical beings set upon her one night on her way home. Clio is rescued, although she would prefer to think that she escaped and had had to rescue Dash, the reindeer shifter who came to her aid.
Dash tells Clio that a number of light magical creatures have been killed by a group of dark elves and he and his herd are tracking them down. Clio volunteers to act as bait to lure these creatures into a trap that the reindeer will spring.
So the scene is set and I'm hooked! It is the traditional Good -vs- Evil struggle, albeit a magical one, set as Christmas approaches, with a whiff of romance in the air. The main characters are likeable and memorable and I found the storyline compelling. I really enjoyed that it moves on at a good pace, keeping me engaged and curious at the same time.
Magic and fantasy are not my usual genre of reading, but something about the blurb pulled me in and the story did not disappoint. I would recommend this book whole-heartedly and have added the remainder of this trilogy, Christmas Chaos and Christmas Curse to my reading wish list.
Christmas Magic is written in the first person from the perspective of Clio, a claus who prefers to live in the human realm away from her own kind and other magical beings. As the story begins, Clio is employed as a bar maid, and has been managing on her own since the death of her mother. That is until dark magical beings set upon her one night on her way home. Clio is rescued, although she would prefer to think that she escaped and had had to rescue Dash, the reindeer shifter who came to her aid.
Dash tells Clio that a number of light magical creatures have been killed by a group of dark elves and he and his herd are tracking them down. Clio volunteers to act as bait to lure these creatures into a trap that the reindeer will spring.
So the scene is set and I'm hooked! It is the traditional Good -vs- Evil struggle, albeit a magical one, set as Christmas approaches, with a whiff of romance in the air. The main characters are likeable and memorable and I found the storyline compelling. I really enjoyed that it moves on at a good pace, keeping me engaged and curious at the same time.
Magic and fantasy are not my usual genre of reading, but something about the blurb pulled me in and the story did not disappoint. I would recommend this book whole-heartedly and have added the remainder of this trilogy, Christmas Chaos and Christmas Curse to my reading wish list.
December 30, 2019
Clio has one mission in life: keep her unique powers hidden and avoid other magical beings at all costs. Sounds simple enough. But, when a group of murderous dark elves attack her, keeping a low profile becomes a little more complicated.
To make matters worse, she's now adopted an unwanted defender. His name is Dash -- a reindeer shifter who's as irritating as he is handsome. He wants to protect her. She wants him to take his rather large antlers and fly on back to the North Pole. But when magical creatures are being killed, and no one knows why, she has no choice but to trust him.
They'll need to work together if they want to find this group of killer elves. But can Clio keep the nature of her powers hidden when Dash is watching her so closely? Or will her secrets unravel as the danger escalates and her magic becomes the one thing between them and disaster?
Heather's Notes
To me this was not a Christmas story. It is about Christmas supernatural characters, but not about the actual Christmas season. Also Clio talked and talked and talked about her power but really didn't use it. It was a bit boring. It also ended in a "cliffhanger" but I don't really care enough to continue the series. This was definitely a let down.
To make matters worse, she's now adopted an unwanted defender. His name is Dash -- a reindeer shifter who's as irritating as he is handsome. He wants to protect her. She wants him to take his rather large antlers and fly on back to the North Pole. But when magical creatures are being killed, and no one knows why, she has no choice but to trust him.
They'll need to work together if they want to find this group of killer elves. But can Clio keep the nature of her powers hidden when Dash is watching her so closely? Or will her secrets unravel as the danger escalates and her magic becomes the one thing between them and disaster?
Heather's Notes
To me this was not a Christmas story. It is about Christmas supernatural characters, but not about the actual Christmas season. Also Clio talked and talked and talked about her power but really didn't use it. It was a bit boring. It also ended in a "cliffhanger" but I don't really care enough to continue the series. This was definitely a let down.
November 11, 2022
Clio is unusual. She can use magic year-round, unlike her fellow Claus, who needs Christmas to be near. Eight years ago, she performed magic off-season, and her mother had moved them to the human realm. This is where she learned not to use her magic and not to let the humans know that magic existed. She worked at a bar, and she didn’t need to, as she could summon whatever she wanted, but now, a reindeer shifter made an appearance in her bar, so she left quietly, unseen. Then some dark elves attacked her on her way home, and wouldn’t you know, that reindeer shifter made an appearance and helped her out. Now, what was she going to do? She picked this small human town so she wouldn’t run across any magical beings, and she is, stuck between dark elves and a shifter reindeer.
This story is excellent and, to me anyways, a little tongue in cheek, with the magical area being the “Northern Territory,” shifter reindeer with the names of Dash, Vixen, and Blitzen, and a race of supernatural human-looking beings called Claus. I got a kick out of evil versus good with different characters, and it made me smile.
This tome has got fantasy in bells! Do you like fantasy with an off-the-wall source? You will like this book. I give this imagination five stars out of five stars.
This story is excellent and, to me anyways, a little tongue in cheek, with the magical area being the “Northern Territory,” shifter reindeer with the names of Dash, Vixen, and Blitzen, and a race of supernatural human-looking beings called Claus. I got a kick out of evil versus good with different characters, and it made me smile.
This tome has got fantasy in bells! Do you like fantasy with an off-the-wall source? You will like this book. I give this imagination five stars out of five stars.
December 11, 2019
Type of book: Holiday Fantasy.
Mini Summary:
Clio has magic powers and she is trying to keep them hidden. She is a Claus.
Characters:
* Clio (Main Character -Claus)
* Alfie (Ghost)
* Dash (Reindeer)
* Tomi (Garden nome-Protector for Clio)
* Vixen (Reindeer)
* Blitz (Reindeer)
* Coop (Reindeer)
* Melody (Claus)
* Jack Frost
Quote & Page:
"Apparently, he has the biggest antlers around.” He winked at me. “Oh my gosh, you cannot say that. Take it back.” Dash and his antlers were the last thing I wanted to talk about. " - (19%)
Notes:
* Clio used to live in the North Pole but had to leave. She is now in England.
* Clio tries to keep her powers hidden from troubled creatures but they always seem to find her.
* Dark elves are after Clio and a Raindeer shifter comes to the rescue.
* The Dark elves are going around killing magical creatures and Dash has been following them to keep a eye on them.
* Danger is around when Clio and Dash go to a Krampus Bar.
My Thoughts:
* I love the garden nome Tomi. He definitely has a big personality.
* Dash seems very sexy.
* Me and Clio have the same allergy to pine trees.
* A very entertaining and fun read! It gives Christmas a dark twist.
Mini Summary:
Clio has magic powers and she is trying to keep them hidden. She is a Claus.
Characters:
* Clio (Main Character -Claus)
* Alfie (Ghost)
* Dash (Reindeer)
* Tomi (Garden nome-Protector for Clio)
* Vixen (Reindeer)
* Blitz (Reindeer)
* Coop (Reindeer)
* Melody (Claus)
* Jack Frost
Quote & Page:
"Apparently, he has the biggest antlers around.” He winked at me. “Oh my gosh, you cannot say that. Take it back.” Dash and his antlers were the last thing I wanted to talk about. " - (19%)
Notes:
* Clio used to live in the North Pole but had to leave. She is now in England.
* Clio tries to keep her powers hidden from troubled creatures but they always seem to find her.
* Dark elves are after Clio and a Raindeer shifter comes to the rescue.
* The Dark elves are going around killing magical creatures and Dash has been following them to keep a eye on them.
* Danger is around when Clio and Dash go to a Krampus Bar.
My Thoughts:
* I love the garden nome Tomi. He definitely has a big personality.
* Dash seems very sexy.
* Me and Clio have the same allergy to pine trees.
* A very entertaining and fun read! It gives Christmas a dark twist.
January 30, 2019
I expected this to be like any other free download, reading the first one but not really caring if I went on to the next. I finished and immediately downloaded the next book!
This isn’t your typical Christmas story, and I loved the spin on this. You can’t go wrong with a clause, shifters, ghosts, krampus’ and other magical beings all rolled into one action packed story. I don’t like to give away things in books, but I’ll give you a little bit.
Clio is a clause with magical powers living in the human world. On her way home from a night of drinking she is attacked by elves. Helped by a shifter reindeer, they make it back to her apartment beat up, but safe for the time being. Things just start to happen from there. Tracking down evil to save good, new friends are met along the way.
This isn’t your typical Christmas story, and I loved the spin on this. You can’t go wrong with a clause, shifters, ghosts, krampus’ and other magical beings all rolled into one action packed story. I don’t like to give away things in books, but I’ll give you a little bit.
Clio is a clause with magical powers living in the human world. On her way home from a night of drinking she is attacked by elves. Helped by a shifter reindeer, they make it back to her apartment beat up, but safe for the time being. Things just start to happen from there. Tracking down evil to save good, new friends are met along the way.
November 23, 2022
Not a stand-alone
This is the first book in a trilogy and, though there is some closure, this is definitely not a stand-alone book. You’ll need the other two in order to finish Clio’s story. But, that being said, the story is worth it. Clio is a magical being who lives in a small village in England. Her mother took her from the Northern Realm when she was young, though Clio isn’t sure why. But she does know she has more power than most beings. Unlike them, her power isn’t tied to the Christmas season. Dash is, well, dashing. He’s tall, handsome, and a powerful reindeer shifter. He’s determined to protect Clio even when she doesn’t want him to - and goes against his orders to stay out of trouble. Trouble definitely keeps finding Clio. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to them in the next two books.
This is the first book in a trilogy and, though there is some closure, this is definitely not a stand-alone book. You’ll need the other two in order to finish Clio’s story. But, that being said, the story is worth it. Clio is a magical being who lives in a small village in England. Her mother took her from the Northern Realm when she was young, though Clio isn’t sure why. But she does know she has more power than most beings. Unlike them, her power isn’t tied to the Christmas season. Dash is, well, dashing. He’s tall, handsome, and a powerful reindeer shifter. He’s determined to protect Clio even when she doesn’t want him to - and goes against his orders to stay out of trouble. Trouble definitely keeps finding Clio. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to them in the next two books.
February 23, 2026
Hey guys! So this book was definitely interesting and different than I’m used to. It’s good but not one of my favorites. It’s the first book in the series so I’m going to keep reading to see how it goes and if it gets any better. The first book is definitely more of a mystery/thriller than romance. There are some spots that hints at them both being attracted to each other but nothing big or exciting. No spice or anything except for holding hands and hugging (barely😭). It’s also more of a fantasy. There’s lots of creatures. Most of them are Christmas related like good/bad elves, claus’s, krampus’s, live snowmen, angels, shifters (reindeer, snow leaped, etc.), etc. even though I didn’t give it a high rating it’s still a good book just not what I was expecting and just wasn’t personally my favorite.
December 10, 2022
This was a book full of adventure as a christmas Claus ( Clio) teams up with a reindeer shifter (Dash)
along with other reindeer shifters to stop dark elves who are killing magical beings in the human realm and siphoning their magic for evil purposes. There are many adventures ahead of this group as they are trying to stop the evil from spreading but as the book
ends things are looking bleak! Luckily, however, there are other books to come so the excitement is just beginning.
I recommend this book for all who love paranormal
Interactions and a thrilling story to boot! The excitement will continue where this book left off so pickup the next books in the series as well as settle back for a ride you’ll enjoy!
along with other reindeer shifters to stop dark elves who are killing magical beings in the human realm and siphoning their magic for evil purposes. There are many adventures ahead of this group as they are trying to stop the evil from spreading but as the book
ends things are looking bleak! Luckily, however, there are other books to come so the excitement is just beginning.
I recommend this book for all who love paranormal
Interactions and a thrilling story to boot! The excitement will continue where this book left off so pickup the next books in the series as well as settle back for a ride you’ll enjoy!
January 15, 2019
What happened to Rudolph?
I liked this book because it was so different. The idea of having Christmas characters with magic was especially neat. The main female character in my opinion was wimpy; whining about not getting to go to certain things because she was a danger to everyone. Then her excuse about not telling the other members of the group her background and special powers was lame; guess we'll read about them in the next book. The best parts of the book were the reindeer; I had to smile thinking about them going into houses in reindeer form. For some reason I could never any of them as a human!
I liked this book because it was so different. The idea of having Christmas characters with magic was especially neat. The main female character in my opinion was wimpy; whining about not getting to go to certain things because she was a danger to everyone. Then her excuse about not telling the other members of the group her background and special powers was lame; guess we'll read about them in the next book. The best parts of the book were the reindeer; I had to smile thinking about them going into houses in reindeer form. For some reason I could never any of them as a human!
December 3, 2020
I was looking for something light and christmassy when I saw this book and read the words "reindeer shifter" - and I was sold!
All in all I had a good time. The story is entertaining and surprisingly not heavy on the romance (I'm guessing it will come in the following books). The pace was good and I enjoyed how the author incorporated different aspects of Christmas into her worldbuilding. The theme is definitely super present, but it's not a "Christmas story" with awkward family reunions, sappy romance, etc. It reads more like a urban fantasy novel with reindeer shifters instead of werewolves and "clauses" instead of mages.
All in all I had a good time. The story is entertaining and surprisingly not heavy on the romance (I'm guessing it will come in the following books). The pace was good and I enjoyed how the author incorporated different aspects of Christmas into her worldbuilding. The theme is definitely super present, but it's not a "Christmas story" with awkward family reunions, sappy romance, etc. It reads more like a urban fantasy novel with reindeer shifters instead of werewolves and "clauses" instead of mages.
December 29, 2022
Clio, who is a Claus, has been hiding out in the human world for so long, that’s where she’s comfortable. She has unique powers that others would want to use or steal if they can. One day, a Reindeer Shifter walks into the Bar she works in and after that, she is attacked by Dark Elves, what is going on?
This was a fun, exciting, and unique holiday fantasy book. I feel like part of the book was fun and full of laughs, but then it took a more serious turn and lost some of the humor. Even with that small identity crisis, and ending with you wanting a bit more, I look forward to picking up the next book in the series to see where the story goes.
This was a fun, exciting, and unique holiday fantasy book. I feel like part of the book was fun and full of laughs, but then it took a more serious turn and lost some of the humor. Even with that small identity crisis, and ending with you wanting a bit more, I look forward to picking up the next book in the series to see where the story goes.
December 14, 2018
I'm not a big fan of Christmas, but I enjoyed this book anyway. The Christmas connection isn't overly blatant (perhaps because it's set months before Christmas) even though the magic used by the Christmas beings peaks at Christmas for reasons that are never explained. It's this waxing and waning of magic force that keeps me from saying you could drop the Christmas association and simply call everyone magic. All in all, it's an enjoyable paranormal novel with good characters and a romantic arc that progresses in a slow, natural way.
December 7, 2022
In spite of the title, this book isn't about Christmas. Instead, it features the mythical beings who dwell in the northern realms and whose magical powers increase as Christmas nears. The protagonist is a young Claus woman named Clio who lives a fairly ordinary life until she is rescued from black elves by a hunky reindeer shifter. I find the characters and situations to be well written and fun, and this book would be fine for readers of YA fiction as well as adults who like fantasy. I would definitely recommend this book.
December 20, 2022
First off, totally not what you're expecting from the title. This is not a fun and lighthearted holiday romp. It's a darkish fantasy with likeable heroine who tries to hold down a regular job but steps up to do right. Sort of in the vein of Mercy Thompson (though nowhere near as good as a Patricia Briggs). It's surprising but as a magical system, Christmas does kind of work (domineering clauses, downtrodden and once-enslaved reindeer, cackling evil krampuses, etc). And while this book has its flaws, I liked it and would consider reading the next in the series.
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